Of course he loves them. Who doesn’t? I shouldn’t complain. Those movies gave me a privileged upbringing. Private schools, a mansion in Beverly Hills, I could surf every single day because I lived on the beach and had more free time and money than most kids.
“I’m sorry,” Mitch says, reaching out to put a hand on my leg. It’s cold, from gripping the beer, but I can still feel the heat of his touch through my jeans.
I glance down at his hand then up at his face. “Sorry for what?”
“For your dad being a douche.” Sincerity exudes from his kind face.
“Thanks,” I whisper, caught up in those gorgeous eyes.
“What about your mom? You said she was from London.” Mitch pulls his hand back and adjusts the sopping wet towel. When he can’t get it to sit right, he gives up and dumps it on the coffee table with a wet splat.
I shrug. “After, ummmm, high school, she brought me to London to live with my grandmother, her mother. Hawke came with me. He had…personal reasons of his own to want to leave L.A. The intention was for me to stay in London long term, but I met Adam and Dax and Hawke’s uncle was able to get us into some big clubs here, so I came back.”
“And your mom?”
“She stayed behind and filed for divorce. Still lives there.”
My head hurts, I’m emotionally drained, and I’m still horny as hell from hearing Mitch whacking off in the shower this morning. I stand up and stretch.
I have to hide my shock when Mitch’s eyes zero in on the strip of skin that is revealed at my waist before quickly dropping back to his beer.
“It’s been fun, but think I’ve had enough of the heart to heart for tonight,” I admit.
Mitch stands up as well, finishing his beer. “Right. And we have to find a new place to live.” He shoots me a side eye, but I can tell he’s not angry. Maybe annoyed, but not angry.
“Sorry.”
“No worries, Gavin. Let me make a few calls.”
Mitch limps from the room. I hear his bottle clatter into the recycling bin in the kitchen. Without the work my assistant was bringing, I decide to get my laptop and Skype her so we can coordinate my schedule.
Hopefully it will be enough to distract me from the fact that I’m now sharing a house with one of the hottest, most intriguing men I’ve ever known. Oh yeah, did I mention he’s straight? But after that look he just gave me, I’m thinking it’s possible he’s a little bit bent.
Mitch
“Is it necessary?” I demand, pacing the length of the back deck of the rental house.
Ross snaps back in a clipped tone. “Yes, it’s necessary. It’s the launch party for their next album, Mitch. I wouldn’t make Gavin go if it weren’t important. You know that. He has to be there.”
I brace one hand on the railing, drumming my fingers, and look out over the city. When I asked Ross to get a rental house, I should have known it would be a ridiculous mansion in the Hollywood Hills.
“Fine. We’ll be there.”
“Great. The car will pick you up at three,” Ross instructs.
“No car. I’m driving him from now on. I don’t want anyone else knowing where we are or coming to the house. We’ll meet you at the studio and go with you from there. And three o’clock, Ross? The event isn’t until six!”
Ross huffs. “There’s wardrobe, makeup, photo sessions, meet and greets—”
“Whatever. Fine, fine, we’ll be there at three.” I disconnect the call before Ross goes off on another tangent.
Christ. I never knew how much work it was to be a celebrity. There are more pointless meet and greets and photo sessions than I ever thought possible. It’s not surprising Gavin is ready to snap. He has people tugging on him from a million different directions. It’s the contact with so many strangers on a daily basis that makes me nervous. You never know if one of them is about to attack.
“Gets old, doesn’t it?” Gavin quips from behind me, bringing with him the faint scent of that damn coconut body wash. “The nagging and expectations everyone has?”
I laugh. “Yeah. And it’s only been a week. How you don’t snap and go out of your mind is a mystery. I’d be in the loony bin by now.”
Gavin flinches and his mouth presses into a tight line.